The Tale of Genji Museum

The Tale of Genji Museum is a museum about the
Japan's oldest novel "The Tale of Genji" ("Genji Monogatari" in
Japanese.
It is located about 0.3 km north of Ujigami Shrine.

The Tale of Genji was written by the female novelist Murasaki Shikibu
(978(?)-1016(?)).
It is said that the major part of the novel was completed in 1001 and
the first books were made in 1008.

It is the long story about the complicated lives of noble
people in the Imperial Court around the 10th century in Japan.
The novel has an engaging story line, skillful psychological
descriptions, and the artistic writing style.
So it is considered the grearest works in the history of Japanese
literature.

The work has been read for over 1,000 years.
Since the 20th century, some excellent novelists have been translated
into modern Japanese.
Recently, the manga of the story has appeared.
And it has been translated also into over 20 foreign languages and read
by many people around the world.

The story has 54 chapters, and the total number of Japanese characters
is around one million. (The volume is the same as the book of
1,500-2,000 pages.)
The first 44 chapters are set in Kyoto, and the hero is Hikaru-Genji (a
handsome Prince).
And last 10 chapters are set in Uji, and the hero is Kaoru (a son of
Hikaru-Genji).

This museum was opened in 1998.
This museum displays the world of The Tale of Genji with projected
images, models, and exhibition.